Yangqin (揚琴 )

Shop of Refined Tones, Guangzhou (Canton)

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 681

This dulcimer is found in orchestras and small ensembles but is more at home in the regional opera of Guangzhou (Canton). Evidence suggests that the yangqin first appeared in the southeastern province of Guandong during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), indicating diffusion by sea from the Middle East rather than by the usual overland Silk Road. Unlike plucked lutes, which have silk or nylon strings of varying thicknesses, the yangqin has strings of copper or steel, which are beaten with flexible bamboo hammers.

Yangqin (揚琴 ), Shop of Refined Tones, Guangzhou (Canton), Wood, brass, Chinese

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Yangqin (揚琴 ), Shop of Refined Tones, Guangzhou (Canton), Wood, brass, Chinese
Yangqin (揚琴 ), Shop of Refined Tones, Guangzhou (Canton), Wood, brass, Chinese
Yangqin (揚琴 ), Shop of Refined Tones, Guangzhou (Canton), Wood, brass, Chinese
Yangqin (揚琴 ), Shop of Refined Tones, Guangzhou (Canton), Wood, brass, Chinese

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